Proverbs 16:18
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Where has your search taken you?
In your search, to walk in the fullness of all God has provided (Ephesians 1:17-20), to utilize all the gifts available (2 Timothy 1:6), and to do the greater works that Jesus proclaimed you could do (John 14:12), there are some dangerous traps and hidden detours.
Matthew 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it. (Amplified Bible AMP)
As you begin your search your intentions are pure and your desire is Him and Him alone.
Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.( New Living Translation NLT)
As you mature in the Lord, you might come to the place where you think you can make positive confessions over your life, command the hand of God, fast and change the situation, and be the master of your life. Are you the one who can call things that be not as though they were?
Romans 4:17 (As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. (New King James Version NKJV)
Hebrews 11:3 By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (Amplified Bible AMP)
You may have faith to move mountains (Mark 11:23) as a part of your inheritance, however only God calls things that are not into being. He does so as it fits into His plan and not yours.
Ephesians 1:11 In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition AMPC)
Here is where you meet the fork in the road. Are you going to be judgmental and determine what is best for you? Are you easily offended? When confronted about your choices and your behavior, do you look for justifications, shift blame or condemn the one asking? Do make excuses or come up with stories that prove you are doing the right thing? Do you reason, rationalize and decide you are in control of your fate? Do you look for Scriptures you can use to broaden the interpretation of for your benefit? Do you convince yourself you walk in the authority and power of God, and no one has the right to question you? If your answer is yes, to any of those questions, you have taken the wrong road.
John 5:31 If I stand as the lone witness to My true identity, then I can be dismissed as a liar. (The Voice TVT)
You have taken the path where you are the object of your worship and not God (refer to the November 17th devotional). Stop! Turn around, and go back to the place where the detour happened. The Father did not move, you did. Continue to seek the Lord. You do not have the power to discover Divine truth, moral obligation, nor do you have the wisdom to govern yourself, without God. You will only end up dishonoring God. Bow down and submit yourself to the Lord.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. (Amplified Bible AMP)
God is able to help you walk so that you receive all the blessings He has promised those who believe in Him and help you accomplish everything He has commanded you to do (Philippians 2:13). He can do that and keep you from moving Him out of the center.
Jude 24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition AMPC)
Began and end your search in worship.
Please agree with me as I pray:
Father, I know I have been down some paths in my search for You and trying to be used by You. So many of them were of my own making because I was so sure I understood what You wanted from me. I was wrong and I repent again, even though my repentance at the time brought me back to You. A great many of the paths I took pulled me away from You instead of toward You. I know it was because I knew just enough to be dangerous. I knew Your word. There was an evident anointing on my life. However, my experience with You, my application and my presentation of the word needed a lot of work. I was worshipping the creation instead of the Creator; I repent again just thinking about it. Thank You for being right there. I am thankful You fixed the damage I caused. You caught me when I fell. You picked me up, brushed me off and told me to try it again. I needed to spend more time with You. I needed to study more. I needed to worship more and to listen to You more. I still don’t always get it right. I am grateful because the number of times I get it wrong is continuously decreasing. I thank You for Your love, Your protection and Your covering. Not just enough to be dangerous anymore. Now I know enough to allow You to be effective through me…
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Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal His response as described here.